RSENR Degree Requirements

Students must be matriculated in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and in residence at the University of Vermont during the period in which they earn 30 of the last 45 credits applied toward the degree. Students must earn a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or above. Students must complete a program of study which includes:

RSENR core curriculum

RSENR general education courses, including the University Approved Diversity requirements

RSENR major requirements

RSENR Core Curriculum

The school's core curriculum provides a common experience for all students. The innovative eight-course sequence creates an integrated foundation upon which the individual majors in the school are constructed. Core courses focus on the underlying fundamentals from which natural resources disciplines have evolved and the application of these fundamentals to problems or issues in the natural world and society. The core courses also promote development of thinking, communications, problem solving, and analytical skills. Faculty from all undergraduate programs teach in the core. The RSENR core curriculum represents a body of knowledge, skills, and values that the faculty believe are central to the study of natural resources and the environment.

NR 001 and NR 002 provide an introduction to the study of natural resources and the environment from natural and social science standpoints, respectively. At the completion of these courses, students should (1) have a basic understanding of the school's integrated approach to natural resources and the environment, (2) be better prepared to make informed decisions about their academic majors, and (3) be prepared to advance to an intermediate level of study in natural resources. The intermediate courses in the sequence, NR 103 and NR 104, emphasize ecosystems and social systems, respectively. NR 205 and NR 206 focus directly on integrated and holistic management. In NR 205, students integrate natural and social science to understand environmental management principles and policies. In NR 206, the capstone course taken during their senior year, students are challenged to synthesize and apply the interdisciplinary knowledge, skills, and values they have learned to contemporary natural resources and environmental issues. NR 006 and NR 207 explore how social justice and environmental issues are intertwined, and help students become culturally competent in an increasingly diverse world.

General Education Courses

RSENR general education requirements are designed to enhance a student's ability to assimilate and analyze information, think and communicate clearly, and respect multiple perspectives. These requirements are flexible in order to encourage creativity in meeting educational goals. All students must complete each of the following general education requirements*:

Self-designed General Education Sequence - Each student defines a personal learning objective and selects at least nine credits from departments outside RSENR to meet that objective. This sequence of courses must be approved in advance**.

* With the exception of the third Race and Culture course chosen from the approved list of University Approved Diversity courses, no single course may be used to satisfy more than one of the above requirements.

** Before completion of four semesters or 60 credits; time-frame may be extended for transfer students.